reddwarffandomcom-20200217-history
Arnold Rimmer
"Oh, Rimmer. . . You ARE a smeghead." -Frank Todhunter (RD:The End) Biography Childhood Arnold Judas Rimmer was born on Io, somewhere during the 21st through 23rd centuries, where he suffered an unhappy childhood. He grew up in the shadow of his three older and more successful brothers, John, Howard and Frank, who tormented and bullied him throughout his youth and whose successes in both school and career greatly overshadowed him. His father had been rejected from the Space Corps in his youth for being an inch below regulation height, and was thus fixated on all his sons succeeding where he had failed; to which end, he refused to allow his sons to eat unless they could answer complicated astronavigation questions and to ensure that they would not be held back by insufficient height, were stretched on a rack to make them taller. His mother was a cold woman, who had no time for fools, but was having an affair with Rimmer's uncle Frank and Porky Roebuck's father. The Series III DVD booklet goes on to conjecture that Arnold's three brothers were actually Frank's children. Arnold was also bullied by other children at school — where he was known as "Bonehead" and his best "friend", Porky Roebuck, once spearheaded a plan to eat him during a Space Scouts survival course. Rimmer later recounts an occasion on which Roebuck threw his favourite shoes into the school septic tank whilst he was wearing them. At the age of 14, Rimmer divorced his parents. Sometime during his life, Rimmer also earned two swimming certificates: one Bronze Swimming Certificate, and one Silver Swimming Certificate — BSc and SSc respectively — which he includes in official correspondence. Aboard Red Dwarf Rimmer joined the Space Corps at a low-entry level as a third technician, and devoted his life to his career, engaging with few activities outside of work. He is also rather unsuccessful with women, managing to have a sexual relationship with only one woman, Yvonne McGruder, the ship's female boxing champion. The entire encounter lasted little more than twelve minutes, including the time it took to eat a pizza. Rimmer claims that he lost his virginity in the back of his brother's Bentley with a girl named Sandra, though this was said in order to hide the fact that he actually lost it to Yvonne McGruder from Lister. The show's creators have also stated he was lying (as in the novel Better Than Life). Despite serving in the Space Corps for fourteen years, he never managed to become an officer, only to further himself from third technician to second technician. He has attempted to pass the astronavigation exam thirteen times, as is required to become an officer, but has failed on every occasion, frequently because he spends the allotted revision time indulging his talent for calligraphy and design in the creation of an elaborate timetables, leaving no time for actual revision. In the ensuing panic he often takes up chain smoking and becomes dependent on stimulants in an attempt to condense months of complex learning into just a few days. In turn this has pushed Rimmer to several psychotic episodes and breakdowns during exams, and on one occasion lead to him being hospitalized in the belief that he was a fish. However, he believes the reason he has been kept down is due to an incident where he was invited to the captain's table and humiliated himself when served gazpacho soup, which he demanded be taken away and brought back hot. During his service on Red Dwarf, he is assigned to both work with and share quarters with third technician Dave Lister, the only member of the crew of Red Dwarf that he out ranks. The two are notably different in personality — unlike the uptight and pompous Rimmer, Lister is unmotivated, slovenly, relaxed and well-liked. After the Accident Rimmer died in the radiation leak which wiped out the entire crew of Red Dwarf, with the exception of Lister, who was in stasis at the time, and Lister's pregnant cat, Frankenstein, who was safe in the ship's hold. Three million years later, when Lister was brought out of stasis, Rimmer was chosen by the ship's computer Holly to be reactivated as a hologram in order to keep Lister company and prevent him from being driven insane with loneliness. He was chosen simply because only one hologram could be active at any given time and Rimmer was the person Lister spoke to most. It is from this point that Rimmer's "life" is covered in Red Dwarf. As a "soft-light" hologram, Rimmer retains his memories and physical appearance, but is composed of light and has no tangible form (other than a small "light bee" projection unit when away from Red Dwarf). He remains very unhappy with his lot after his death, frequently bemoaning his fate. Despite his dissatisfaction with his existence, he bitterly resists any move to turn him off. He remains as obnoxious and difficult to like for his crew mates as he was before his death, and gradually develops a pompous tendency to quote Space Corps Directives at any possible opportunity — even if though he often quotes the wrong one. In Series VI, he encounters a being known as Legion, who upgrades Rimmer's projection unit from "soft light" to "hard light", giving him a physical form and the ability to interact directly with the world, in addition to making him virtually indestructible. To conserve power (more of which is required for Rimmer's hard-light hologram) he normally uses soft light, only switching to hard light when necessary. In Series VII, Rimmer is approached by a dying alternate version of himself, Ace Rimmer, who asks Rimmer to become a defender of the multiverse upon Ace's death. Although initially hesitant, Rimmer finds himself rising to the challenge and leaves to start his new life. Returned to Life When Red Dwarf is restored by nanobots in Series VIII, the entire crew is restored to life as well, including Rimmer, although, as he is resurrected as he was at the time of the accident, he lacks any of the growth that the 'other' Rimmer has gone through since the series began, reverting him back to his original persona. Due to a series of events, Lister, Rimmer, Kryten, the Cat and Kristine Kochanski are sentenced to two years in the ship's brig for misuse of confidential information. At the end of Series VIII, in the final episode, "Only the Good..., when a chameleonic microbe destroys Red Dwarf and everyone else evacuates on Starbug and Blue Midget shuttles or to a mirror universe, Rimmer is trapped on the disintegrating ship. at the end of the episode he encounters the Grim Reaper, announcing that he is dead (again), and then tells him that they'll travel to the River Styx, until Rimmer interrupts him and says, "Not today, matey!" knees him in the groin and flees. Hologram Again In Back to Earth it is seen that Rimmer is once again a hologram, hard-light. It is assumed that he either died during the disintegration of Red Dwarf (which however done, was reversed) or died during the nine year interval between Series VIII and Back to Earth (his more aged appearance might indicate that he aged as a human and then died later). Rimmer seems to retain the memories of both his human and previous holographic selves (memories of the despair squid incident for example), it is speculated that his hologram disk was merged with the old one. Rimmer, much like the rest of the crew, has spent the last nine years the way he always has, studying for his never ending string of exams, being annoyed by Lister, and reading up on his obscure hobbies. He seems to have taken up an interest in automobiles, as he enjoys reading old car magazines. He may have had this trait for a while, but this is the first time it is seen. During the events of Back to Earth, they are attacked by another despair squid and hallucinate that they travel back to the planet Earth during the year 2009 and discover that they are just characters from the television show "Red Dwarf" (similar to how the first time they found that their lives were just a video game). This hallucination is notable due to Rimmer's reaction to the coming of Katerina Bartikovsky a hologram of a Red Dwarf science officer, who seeks to replace him. Nicknames Arnold would like for people to call him fraternal nicknames such as Ace, Arnie J, Big Man, Duke, Old Ironbutt, and Old Ironballs. However, he actually gets called things like Acehole, Trans-Am Wheel Arch Nostrils, Grand Canyon Nostrils, Laundry Chute Nostrils, Captain Sadness, Captain Boring, Captain Yawn, Molecule Mind, Goal-Post Head, Alphabet Head, and Smeghead. At school, Arnold's nickname was Bonehead. The second holographic copy of Arnold called him Mr. Gazpacho. Personality Rimmer's primary character traits include anal-retentiveness, over-adherence to protocol, cowardice, misogyny, and a severely inflated ego matched only by his deep-seated sense of self-loathing. As the highest ranking survivor (despite his holographic status) Rimmer frequently deludes himself into believing that he is in charge and that he has somehow been molding "his" crew into an effective space going unit. Rimmer is very fond of war, or at least the romantic principles of it, although, due to his cowadice, he prefers to be the general, who he sees as in a tent behind the battlefield as the grunts die for them. He claims that he was told in all his former lives he was a solder who has been tragically incarnated in a coward's body, despite earlierly claiming to have been Alexander the Great's chief eunuch in a past life. Due to this, he idolizes many military leaders, such as Napoleon, Alexander the Great and even Hilter, who he describes as the "leader of the runners-up in WW2." He was finally able to live his dream of commanding an army in the Series IV episode "Meltdown", leading an army of "good" wax-droids against a much larger force of "evil" wax-droids. Although Rimmer ultimately succeeds in destroying the opposing army, his forces are completely wiped out. In addition to his fondness for militarism and Hammond organ music, Rimmer also enjoys Morris dancing and is an authority on 20th century telegraph poles (especially those observed while train spotting), and diesel engines. In Back to Earth he appears to have taken up an interest in automobiles. Many episodes of Red Dwarf focus on the conflict between Rimmer's ego and his neuroses. In "Me²", Rimmer manages to trick Lister into generating a holographic duplicate in order to provide him with a companion; however, as a consequence of Rimmer's self-loathing, the two Rimmers are incapable of getting along, and their interaction becomes so bitter and hate-filled that the duplicate must be turned off. In "Terrorform", a psi-moon sculpted to reflect Rimmer's psychological make-up becomes a desolate, swampy hell-hole dominated by Rimmer's Self-Loathing, personified as a sadistic beast, with a metaphysical graveyard marking the "demise" of his various virtuous qualities. Rimmer's personality flaws are in fact almost completely a result of his hang-ups. An alternative version of Rimmer, Ace Rimmer, who was kept back a year in school, learned humility and inner strength and grew up to become a charming and well-liked Space Corps test pilot, interstellar hero, and sexual seducer. On top of this, Rimmer is not incapable of nobility, honour and love. When Red Dwarf encounters a holoship, with an all-hologram crew composed of the "best and brightest", Rimmer desperately wants to join. A female officer aboard the ship, Nirvanah Crane, falls in love with him and sacrifices her place on the ship for Rimmer, only for Rimmer to do the same in return. This act of nobility surprises even Rimmer himself. Furthermore in the episode "Out of Time", Rimmer is revolted by his corrupted future self to the point he'd rather do battle with him than surrender. Then, when the others are killed, he frantically risks his life to bring them back. When he became infected with the Holo virus Rimmer displayed a darker more m nature where he attempted to kill the rest of the crew in a number of different ways from W.O.O (With Out Oxygen) to hex powers. He also displayed a sadistic side when he put them in quarantine in order for them to get on each others nerves and for his own amusement. He also twisted their words cunningly during their incarceration by making their humouring of his insanity appear like they are the insane ones. This involved him telling them the King of the Potato people held then reigns to their freedom and they need a magic carpet to see them. When Lister answered they had one, Rimmer responded that their desire to see the King of the potato people on a magic carpet sounded insane to him and he would punish them with W.O.O for being "breadbaskets" Skills Arnold earned both a Bronze Swimming Certificate and a Silver Swimming Certificate. He is very proud of these certificates often tagging them on to the end of his name (Arnold.J.Rimmer BSC,SSC) although despite this he is unable to swim according (though this was only mentioned during a hallucination and his ability or inability is never shown on the show). He also earned four Long Service medals: three years, six years, nine years, and twelve years. One of Arnold's hobbies is attempting to memorize things. He has failed to memorize the Space Corps Directives, his engineering textbook, and Shakespeare's Richard III. He has also failed to learn Esperanto. Likes and Dislikes Arnold likes the Hammond Organ, Morris dancing, Risk, fishing, cars, rules and structure, authority, war, and great military strategists (especially Napoleon, Caesar, and Patton), dividing each alphabet spaghetti letter with its fellows. He also enjoys coloring in the dividers in his itineraries. Arnold dislikes Gazpacho soup, Dave Lister, drive plates, himself, his parents, and successful people. Appearance Rimmer's status as a hologram in most episodes of Red Dwarf is shown by the "H" on the centre of his forehead, leading to nicknames from The Cat, such as "alphabet head" and "goalpost head". Rimmer keeps his unmanageable hair relatively short, feeling that it makes him feel like a man. When Lister and The Cat respond to a drill too slowly, Rimmer argues for increased discipline and sensible haircuts, believing that "every major battle in history has been won by the side with the shortest haircuts". Rimmer's Space Corps uniform changes several times during the course of the show. In the Series I and Series II it is a grey-and-beige shirt-and-tie ensemble; in Series III and Series IV this becomes a green suit with a shiny high-collared jacket, which is changed to red in Series V; in Series VI and Series VII, Rimmer's jacket becomes quilted and is red when he is in soft-light form and blue for hard-light; the alive Rimmer in Series VIII wears an all-beige uniform similar in design to the original. In the 2009 three part special Back to Earth, Rimmer wears a blue suit (to symbolize that he is hard-light) similar to his Series III and IV green suit but with the addition of a plain waste high belt worn over the jacket and a quilted collar; possibly being part of a quilted under shirt which though the jacket is not removed at all during any of the three episodes. The hologram "H" on his forehead also changes from series to series: it starts as a dull grey colour and a blocky shape, then in Series III it becomes bright blue and reflective, then in Series V its shape is changed to a thinner and more stylized font. His "H" also briefly changes to a reflective red colour set inside a circle when he temporarily joins the holoship SS Enlightenment. Also when Rimmer was in the final stages of the holo virus infection the H turnned jet black and appeared degraded looking. Possibly as a result of the virus infection. Behind the Scenes Among the actors who auditioned for Rimmer were Norman Lovett (who went on to play Holly instead), David Baddiel, Hugh Laurie, and Alfred Molina. Initially Molina was cast as Rimmer, however, the role was recast and filled by Chris Barrie (one of Barrie's first television roles was a guest on Blackadder the Third which starred Hugh Laurie), a professional voice-actor and impressionist. Barrie, who had originally auditioned for Lister, was familiar with Rob Grant and Doug Naylor having worked together on Son of Cliché and Spitting Image, and with the producers on Happy Families and various Jasper Carrott productions. He has appeared in all but four episodes of the show, which he missed in Series VII due to scheduling conflicts. Rimmer was played by Chris Eigeman in the first American pilot and then by Anthony Fuscle in the second pilot. The character's distinctive "H" was replaced with a marble-shaped object in the first pilot, but the "H" returned in the second one. Chris Barrie was given an offer to reprise his role, but turned it down for fear of being tied into a restrictive, long-term contract, which is common in American television production. The female Rimmer in the Series II episode "Parallel Universe" was played by Suzanne Bertish, an actress primarily known for her classical stage work. She had been asked by director Ed Bye to play the part. "Young Rimmer", who had minor speaking roles in three episodes in Series III and IV, was played by child actor Simon Gaffney. Quotes * "Four thousand, six hundred and ninety one irradiated haggis" (RD: Balance of Power) * "It may be a bit severe, a bit too green beret, but you are how you look, and I look - like a complete and total tit!" (RD: Future Echoes) * Rimmer: "Morning, Lister! How's life in hippie heaven, you pregnant baboon bellied space cookie? What's the plan for the day then? Slobbing in the morning, followed by slobbing in the afternoon, then a bit of a snooze before the main evening's slob? God, you're a disgrace to the species" Lister: Morning Rimmer. (RD: Future Echoes) * "Stab him! Stab him! STAB HIM! QUICK! STAB HIM!...Uhh, you haven't met Stabim?" (RD: Confidence and Paranoia) * "Wrong, wrong. Absolutely brimming over with wrongability." * "Oh, good. Switch me on, switch me off, like some battery-powered sex aid!" * "Well, if you have any more problems with nothing or things that don't matter, just scream out my name hysterically and I'll come pelting down the corridor!" (RD: Future Echoes) * "It was the way she said it ... Rimmer, Rimmer. To rhyme with scum." (RD: Balance of Power) * "Every time I take a test, I tell her I passed. It's getting embarrassing. I should be commander-in-chief of the whole universe by now." (RD: Better Than Life) * "I'm organised, I'm dedicated to my career, I've always got a pen. Result? Total smeghead despised by everyone except the ship's parrot. And that's only because we haven't got one." (RD: Thanks for the Memory) * "Everyone leaves me. Girls, parents.... I had a pet lemming once." (RD: Stasis Leak) * "She accused me of wiggling my bottom in a provocative way. I was just walking! Can I help it if I'm sexy?" (RD: Parallel Universe) * "Unpack Rachel and get out the puncture repair kit! I'm alive!!" (RD: Timeslides) * "At least he gets 24 hours; that's more than most of us get. Most of us get 'Mind-that-bus-what-bus?-splat.'" (RD: The Last Day) * "You think I'm a petty minded, bureaucratic nincompoop who delights in enforcing persnickity regulations 'cause he gets some sort of perverse pleasure out of it. And in many ways, you're absolutely damned right. That doesn't alter the fact that the only way we're gonna track down Red Dwarf and get through this in one piece is with a sense of discipline, a sense of purpose, and wherever possible, a sensible haircut." * "I just want to say: over the years, I have come to regard you as ... people I met." (RD: Holoship) * "Yes, but Rimmer Directive 271 states just as clearly, 'No chance, you metal bastard.'" (RD: White Hole) * "All right, I admit I'm nothing; but with what I started with ... nothing is up." (RD: The Inquisitor) * "We're not getting out of here in one piece, or if we do, it'll be one big flat piece." (RD: Gunmen of the Apocalypse) * "Look, I think we've all got something to bring to this conversation, but I think that from now on what you should bring is silence." (RD: Gunmen of the Apocalypse) * "Kryten, kindly get to the point before I jam your nose between your cheeks and make it the filling of a buttocks sandwich." (RD: Rimmerworld) * "The world loves a bastard." (RD: Back in the Red I) * "He was never proud of me. What other father would claim to have an alibi for his sperm on the night of conception?" (RD: Back in the Red II) * "Me? Not make it? What does he know? The big, stupid, yellow idiot. He doesn't see my good side, my guile, my weasel cunning. When the going gets tough, my ability to find good hiding places." (RD: Only the Good. . .) * "The point I'm trying to make, you dirty son of a fetid whoremonger's bitch, is that we're friends!" (Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers) * "Oh, great. Not only am I dead, I don't exist, either! Thanks a lot, God!" (Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers) * "Spaghettification. Let me guess. I can see only two options: one -- due to the bizarre effects of the intense gravitational pull, and because we're entering a region of time and space where the laws of physics no longer apply, we all of us inexplicably develop an irresistible urge to consume vast amounts of a certain wheat-based Italian noodle conventionally served with Parmesan cheese; or two -- we, the crew, get turned into spaghetti. I have a feeling we can eliminate option one." (RD: Better Than Life) * "...If Ace once again refers to me as a fruit or a vegetable, I'll take that welding torch and set his poufy fringe on fire." (RD: Backwards) Notes * The creators of the series acknowledge that Rimmer's surname comes from a snobby prefect with whom they attended school. They claim, however, that only the boy's name was used, and not his personality. Trivia * Arnold likes to eat his food in alphabetical order. * When he met that "special someone," Arnold wanted their song to be Gershwin's "Someone to Watch Over Me." * Arnold's handwriting is described as being a neat copperplate style. Copperplate is an extremely uniform style - exactly the kind they teach in school. This is the same style of handwriting possesed by Hannibal Lecter. * Arnold tells people that his middle name is Johnathan when really it is Judas. * Arnold once owned a Lemming who he loved but eventually had to kill by slamming it against a wall when he (the lemming) bit Arnold's finger and wouldn't let go. He still held a grudge against it millennia after it's death because "the little git completely ruined my helicopter wallpaper(RD: Stasis Leak). Category:Characters